YouTubers Conquer Buenos Aires

BUENOS AIRES – YouTubers fever has taken hold in Buenos Aires as thousands of teens flock to Club Media Fest to see some of their favorite YouTube stars in the flesh, including Spain’s Rubius, Vegetta777 and Mangel and Argentina’s own Ann Look and Julian Serrano.

Young, creative, funny ... they all belong to a new generation of artists who use YouTube and social networks to reach millions of viewers around the world.

Next week the YouTubers will emerge from behind the computer screen to perform live at the La Rural convention center in Buenos Aires.

Days before the official opening of Club Media Fest, a crowd of mostly adolescent fans has congregated outside the Hotel Panamericano in search of opportunities to snap a selfie with one of their idols or just snag an autograph.

Eager for a glimpse of Rubius or Mangel, two of Spain’s most popular YouTubers, the teens also clamor for Lana, the 24-year-old U.S. YouTuber renowned for her tips on beauty, clothing and make-up.

“We are quite overwhelmed by it all because we are not used to being in front of the public,” Spaniard Samuel de Luque, better known as Vegetta777, told EFE.

“It’s crazy,” he said after penning autographs and smiling for pictures.

Frank Ramirez Garcia, a.k.a. sTaXx, also from Spain, also sparks a frenzy when he emerges from the hotel.

“I cannot possibly describe it. It’s crazy. It’s so much love. To receive all that we are given here is incredible,” he told EFE after greeting his public.

For the youngsters outside the Panamericano, YouTube videos are more than just entertainment, they are an antidote to the blues.

“I love them. They are the best of the best in the whole world,” 14-year-old Michaela told EFE. “They are very funny and make me laugh. When I am in a bad mood, I watch their videos and they take away all the bad stuff.”

The humor of the YouTubers has a similar effect on Belen, 13, whose favorites include Rubius, Luzu and Lana.